The International Cricket Thread 2018

[UK Redsox]

I'm now thinking that using the term "leadership group" was an attempt by Smith to shield Warner and Bancroft.

If such a group did exist, it would have to contain a couple of bowlers (most likely Starc and Lyon) plus Tim Paine.

However, it's difficult to believe that at least one of the bowlers wouldn't have been consulted by Warner before he allegedly instigated the tampering.

The walkie-talkie element would at least suggest that Lehmann was aware after the tampering had happened and was part of the attempted coverup

[cdbearsfan]

It's an absolute stitch-up. South Africa should refuse to play the final test against the cheating Convict bastards.

[Villan For Life]

Sky are reporting that Smith & Warner have been banned for a year whilst Bancroft has been banned for 9 months.

[cdbearsfan]

That's fine. Now they just need to ban Lehmann and the rest of the "Leadership Group". If Smith, Warner and Bancroft are unwilling to name names, ban them for life.

[UK Redsox]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/28/steve-smith-david-warner-banned-one-year-cricket-australia-ball-tampering

In addition to their national suspension, all three players will be barred from representing their states in the Sheffield Shield during this time and cannot play in the next edition of Australia’s Big Bash League.

Overseas assignments, such as English county cricket the Indian Premier League and, appear to be theoretically permitted. However the latter has now barred Smith and Warner from take up their respective £1.3m deals with Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad this year.

[john e]

There are very few cricketers I really cannot stand, Warner is easily my most hated player.

i don't think he's very popular even amongst his own

[Risso]

Very expensive bit of cheating that for them.

[Chris Jameson]

There are very few cricketers I really cannot stand, Warner is easily my most hated player.

i don't think he's very popular even amongst his own

Jim Maxwell said he was given the cold shoulder by the rest of the squad on the flight after he was exposed as a cheat.

[Drummond]

From the BBC:

Cricket Australia said Smith:

knew of a potential plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball
failed to take steps to seek to prevent the development and implementation of that plan
directed that evidence of attempted tampering be concealed on the field of play
sought to mislead match officials and others regarding Bancroft's attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball
made misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan


The body said Warner:

developed a plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball
instructed a junior player to carry out a plan to take steps to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper
provided advice to a junior player regarding how a ball could be artificially altered including demonstrating how it could be done
failed to take steps to seek to prevent the development and/or implementation of the plan
failed to report his knowledge of the plan at any time prior to or during the match
misled match officials through the concealment of his knowledge of and involvement in the plan
failed to voluntarily report his knowledge of the plan after the match

It found Bancroft:

knew of the existence of, and was being party to, the plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper
carried out instructions to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball
sought to conceal evidence of his attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball
sought to mislead match officials and others regarding his attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball
made misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent, implementation and participants of the plan

So basically Warner is a bully.

[paul_e]

That's a lot of words (from bbc/cricket australia, not you) to call Warner a twat when pretty much everyone already knew.

[KevinGage]

My initial reaction on hearing the ban for that pair of rogues was it was too harsh.

And I agreed with part of Shane Warne's statement:

"Their opposing captain in this series, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, has been charged with the offence twice, and opening bowler Vernon Philander once. The list of players who have been charged with ball tampering is long and contains some of the biggest names in the game, like Sachin Tendulkar and Mike Atherton.

"Then there’s the idea of pre-meditated cheating. But are there levels of ball tampering, or is it just ball tampering ? Is putting a mint in your pocket so you can shine a ball on the field pre-meditated cheating, or just ball tampering. What about putting sunscreen on the ball? You either ball tamper or you don’t."

Stuart Broad piped up recently and suggested (in a roundabout way) that the Aussies were probably doing it during the winter.  But it is only a few years back that a camera caught Broad using his cricket spikes to scuff up one side of the ball.  So people in glass houses.

Officially, ball tampering is only a Level 2 offence normally punishable by a fine of 50% to 100% of match fee and ban for 1 Test or 2 ODIs.  So even the ICC don't -by that definition- treat it particularly seriously. You get a harsher penalty for saying naughty things to a player or umpire.

Competitive sportspeople will naturally push things to the line; and the line with ball tampering can be vague at best. The umpires are in a position to check the ball regularly, and if they suspect anything ropey is going on (or they are unsure) they can simply change the ball and diffuse a potentially nasty situation without drawing attention to it.

But:

There is something about bringing sandpaper onto the field that makes this premeditated and worthy of a harsh sanction IMO.  Using a bit of excess tape, you'd understand. Not big, and not clever. But easily to hand, and the suggestion might have come in as late as a drinks break or even the over before in a moment of desperation. This took a bit of planning and prep though - and it sounds like the Saffers had been aware of something going on for a while.

[PaulWinch again]

Ali and Woakes dropped from squad for second Test. Not a surprise really both of their records away are poor.

[UK Redsox]

Steve Smith can't be all bad



https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/fears-steve-smith-will-unravel-in-exile/news-story/df686a263f9474d7bcb6632cf0ec5046

[manic-road]

Ali and Woakes dropped from squad for second Test. Not a surprise really both of their records away are poor.

Batsman James Vince, uncapped spinner Jack Leach and fast bowler Mark Wood have all come into the 12-man squad, the team definitely needed freshening up.

[manic-road]

The knock on effect from the cheating is hitting Australian cricket and players hard in the pocket as well.

Magellan Financial Group has terminated its naming rights sponsorship of domestic Test matches involving the Australian men's cricket team just one summer into the three-year deal.

The fund manager's response to the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa is a costly blow to Cricket Australia, with the deal estimated at $20 million when it was signed in August last year.

Also on Thursday sporting goods manufacturer Asics severed ties with suspended players David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. While health food company Sanitarium and the Commonwealth Bank ended their relationships with former captain Steve Smith.
Magellan said its three-year partnership with Cricket Australia, which started with the recent Ashes series, had been "based on shared values and reputations of integrity, leadership, dedication and an uwavering customer-first culture".

Magellan chief executive and co-founder Hamish Douglass was blunt in explaining why it had ended the deal.
"A conspiracy by the leadership of the Australian Men's Test Cricket Team which broke the rules with a clear intention to gain an unfair advantage during the third Test in South Africa goes to the heart of integrity," he said in a statement to the stock exchange.

"Regrettably, these events are so inconsistent with our values that we are left with no option but to terminate our ongoing partnership with Cricket Australia. We were delighted with the recent Magellan Ashes Series sponsorship and it is with a heavy heart that we have to end our partnership in these circumstances."

Asics followed suit on Thursday morning, saying: "As a result of last weekend’s events in Cape Town involving members of the Australian men’s cricket team and following the sanctions made by Cricket Australia, Asics has terminated its sponsorship contracts with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, effective immediately.